Sta remembers Andres Quintanar

By Fallon Dern Upper School Maintenance Team Member Andres Quintanar

died in an early-morning car crash in Porter Ranch on March 5, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Quintanar, 37, was killed in a wrong-way collision at 4:25 a.m. One other passenger died during the crash and the two drivers were taken to a nearby hospital with injuries.

President Rick Commons sent the school an email sharing the news about Quintanar’s passing March 7. In the email, Com- mons said Quintanar will be remembered for his good-natured personality and work ethic.

“His colleagues describe him as quietly charismatic, a hundred percent dependable and deeply loyal to Harvard-Westlake despite his relatively brief time working at the school,” Commons said in an email. “Among a group of Harvard-Westlake employees who distinguish themselves by their remarkable work ethic, [Quintanar] stood out for his uncomplaining e ort. His positive attitude was infectious, and his warm smile uplifted everyone he encountered, whether at dawn setting up for a school assembly or at midnight cleaning up after an alumni event.”

Since Quintanar’s passing, his family has organized a GoFundMe to cover his funeral and memorial expenses. e GoFundMe has already exceeded its $15,000 goal by several thousand dollars, with donations from teachers, faculty, sta and parents. In the fundraiser’s description, organizer Cassandra Perez-Sanchez shared Quintanar’s importance to his friends and family.

“Andres was an amazing son, brother, cousin, uncle and oh so much more,” Perez-Sanchez course will formalize the work SLIDE does and give us double the amount of meeting time we currently have to work and collaborate in person.”

SLIDE Co-Chair Fernanda Herrera ’23 said the o cial SLIDE course will have both bene ts and drawbacks.

“SLIDE becoming an o cial class will allow more time for students to plan events and hold discussions surrounding DEl issues at the school,” Herrera said. “It will elevate the experience students have at [the school] because [SLIDE] will have more time to contribute meaningfully to our community. On the contrary, having SLIDE be a class might bar people from signing up to be a SLIDE co-chair or a nity group leader if it means dedicating a large amount of time. ere are so many class options available that I would understand if someone chooses to [take] a di erent directed study.”

Limerick said that the SLIDE class will help members get more work done, but they will miss out on other classes possibly.

“Attending this Directed Study will be required for everyone who applies and is accepted, [so] some students will have to prioritize SLIDE over another class they may have wanted to take during the Directed Study timeslot,” Limerick said.

He was very fond of his upbringing and told great stories of his life to anyone who would ask. He would be that ‘sunshine,’ whether it was 6 a.m. or at the end of a long day.”

Ed Wormald

wrote. “Most importantly, [he was] a caring and kind person with a heart of gold that always managed to keep a big smile on his face despite any life obstacles. His laugh was unique and contagious, so much so that as I write this out I can’t help but smile remembering his laugh.”

Plant Manager Ed Wormald said Quintanar was a caring per- l wood son who loved connecting with other community members. “[Quintanar] was raised in Los Angeles and talked a lot about his family and childhood friends,” Wormald said.“He was very fon d of his upbringing and told great stories of his life to anyone who would ask. He would be that ‘sunshine,’ whether it was 6 a.m. or at the end of a long day.”

ISIR introduced to Middle School

By Davis M arks

Head of Middle School Jon Wimbish announced the creation of an Interdisciplinary Studies and Independent Research (ISIR) department at the Middle School in February. English Teacher Ryan Wilson will serve as the chair of this newly established department. e school created the Kutler Center and ISIR department to honor Brendan Kutler’s ’10 passion for multidisciplinary studies, following his death in 2009. Since the opening of the Kutler Center in 2012, the ISIR department has exclusively served upper school students.

Wilson said the middle school ISIR department will provide middle school students with the opportunity to explore new and interesting topics.

“ e ISIR department is all about celebrating your intellectual interests and sharing what you’ve learned in a creative way,” Wilson said. “ at kind of academic experience certainly can and should be open to middle school students.”

Wilson said he hopes the new ISIR department encourages students to develop new interests and skills.

“What our ISIR classes will all do is give students the chance to collaborate and present on culturally relevant topics,” Wilson said. “ e hope is that this department-wide approach will help develop a set of collaborative and presentational skills, and, more importantly, middle school students will enjoy it and feel genuinely engaged. We all want to keep growing and contributing when we feel excited by what we’re learning.”

President Rick Commons said the presence of the ISIR department on both campuses allows the school to embrace new educational ideas while still maintaining its academic traditions.

“I think that we are a traditional school academically, yet we want to be a place where innovative and interdisciplinary thinking are a part of every student’s experience,” Commons said. “Having interdisciplinary studies as a department enables us to meet students and the evolving world of education where they are right now. When you have a school that follows a traditional curriculum, it can be hard, but the ISIR department allows us to do that. It’s exciting that we’re going outside the bounds of the traditional, even as we maintain our long standing departments.”